Steering-post lock



May 27 1924.

G.v JERLNG STEERING PbsT Loox Filed June `a, 1929 Patented May 27, 19245.

UNITED. STA

TES PATENT OFFICE.

Gofrrrnrnn JERLING, er cnioneo, ILLINOIS, nssrenon orl ONE-nati? To aannemen E. HUMMEL, 0r @Kroese IIQLINQIS..

' y STEERING-'Pese LQCK.

Appnqatiqn fue-d rime s,

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, Go'r'rrninn JERLING, a Y

designed morel particularly l'for application to the steering gear ot motor vehicles` to prevent theft andthe unauthorizeduse of the `ca r. It will be understood however that the lock is not limited to any particular application, and it may be employed `Wherever a lock is required.

The invention a lock in which the bolt has a sliding movement and is locked in advanced posit-ion by means of a novel and improved arrangement of key-controlled detents, asivill; b e described in detail hereinafter. 1 i

In order that the invention may be bet-ter understood, reference is had, to the accompanying drawing-wherein: I l I Figuijelis a cross-section of thellock 'casing lied; Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section of the lock; Fig. 3 is vsimilar -vieW showing 5 the key and the" method of operatingthe del y tents which lock thebolt; Fig lis auw-side elevation showing the means i, hereby lon- -itudinal movement 'of the bolt iselected, and Fig. 5 is a cross-section on the line 5,-f5 of Figa: f

Referring specifically to the drawing, 10

denotes t-he stationary tubular -post WhichA` houses the shaft 11 of the steering Wheel and Ais provided Wit-h suitable operating connec-l tions With the front Wheels ofthe car. As these connections are Well knownand do not form a part of the present invention,` they have, not been illustrated. The bolt12 o ythe lock is adapted lo be passed through an aperture l'inth'e post 10,t'oentera keeper aperture 14 in a ring '11a encircling the shatt 11 and, rigidly secured thereto, isdone, said lunauthorized use of the car. The housing of the locky is shownat 15, Iit being shaped f sidewise into grooves made in l'the holes of.

State of? lllinois,

has for its object to provide' andthe parts' to .which they same is apand' When this i shaft is locked to prevent st eering of the car and thus `frustrate theft andv 1922, Serial No. 566,817.

the front Wheels of the car instrai'ght ahead position, but the ring 11a lmay be provided with a plurality of keeper apertures so that the shaft 11 may be locked with the Wheels in other positions.

rI he Wall of the `housing 1 5 has a. cav-ity 17 in which the bolt: l2 is located. vThe ini ner end of this cavityy is closed by a cover plate 18 secured by screws 19, andA this plate has an aperture 2 0 through which thebolt protrudes to enter the aperturel 13,' said apertures being therefore in alinement. The outer end of the bolt has a head or enlarge-A ment 21 which seats in the reduced youter, portion 22 of the cavity 17'. The head 21 is sunk in the. part 22 of the cavity 17vr so that it does not protrude from the housing k1,5, this being for the purpose of preventingthe bolt from accidentally being advanced to' locking positionl by' its outer lend being' struclifby another object' orby the handel thel driver. j A

rlhe-bolt 12 s slidable in the direction of' its lengthv in going to and Jfrom lockingwpoF sition, and in order to lock it in this positie-n,

it isV provided on one side With a `plu'ral'ifty` ofnl ratchet teeth QS'eXtending transversely. The diametrically opposite side of the bolt has asimilar arrangement of ratchetI teeth 2li. Alongside they bolt is mounted a series oit detents" which are engageable with the ratchet teeth thereof. Each' detent is'double, itA being provided with tvvo angularly disposed branches or arms 25 and 26, ref# spectively, the former being opposite the` ratchet teeth 23 to engage one of the latter, and they arm 26' being4 opposite ythe ratchet teeth 2ev to engage one of the'latter.A rlhe detents are pivotal-ly mounted in super# posed relation on a post 27 carried by 'the plate 18, `and this plate alsocarries a'post 28 to which are attachedsprings 29 'engagey able at their free ends with the detente for holding them. normal-ly positioned so that their branches 25 engage the ratchet teeth 23 of the bolt. With the detents in this position, and the bolt advanced into the keeper aperture 14, the shaft 11 is locked and prevented from being rota-ted to steer the car.

The function of the detent branches 26 will be presently described.

F or the purpose of operating the detents to release the bolt 12 and allow the same to be retracted to unlock the shaft 11, a special key 30 has been provided. This key has a flat shank, and the bolt has a longitudinal groove 31' which is continued through the head 21, and is positioned vto intersect the ratchet teeth 23. One of the edges of the key shank has a cam 32 of such design that when the key is inserted into the groove 31, said cam engages the detent branches 25 and swings the detents in a. direction to take said branches clearof the ratchet teeth 23, thereby releasing the bolt 12 to permit the same to be retracted.

i The key 30 is also employed for retracting the bolt12 after it has been unlocked as hereinbefore described, and to enable this to be done, the bolt has a side lug or wing 33 which is positioned opposite a lug 34- carried by the plate 18. This lug has an inclined surface 35 extending obliquely with respect to the axis of the bolt. When the bolt, after the branches 25 of the detents are clear of the ratchet teeth 23, is given a rotary impulse by means of the key, in a direction causing the lug 33 to press against the incline 35, the` bolt is caused to move in the direction of its length to leave the keeper aperture 14.

The branches 26 of the detents and the ratchet yteeth 24 of the bolt 12 are provided to frustrate attempts to pick the lock. The spacing of the detent branches 25 and 26 is such that the branches 26 remain clear of the ratchet teeth 24 when the branches 25 are swung clear of the ratchet teeth 23 by means of the key 30 as hereinbefore described. However if an attempt should be 4made to pick the lock, and the person succeeded in disengaging one or even all of the detent branches 25 from the ratchet teeth 23, it is extremely unlikely that the detents could be swung to exact dista-nce required to leave the branches 26 clear of the ratchet' teeth 24. It is more than likely that the detents would be swung so far as to bring the branches 26 into engagement with the teeth 24, which would again lock the bolt. The detents have been so designed that a very slight movement beyond that required to take the branches 25 clear of the ratchet teeth 23 will bring the branches 26 into engagement with the ratchet teeth 24.

A key is not required for advancing the bolt 12 to locking position. To do this it is necessary only to push inwardly on the head 21, the ratchet teeth now slipping past the detents. It is therefore not necessary to use a key tol lock the shaft 11. The springs 29 securely hold the detents so that jolts will not advance the bolt 12.

1. In a lock, a slidable bolt having a longitudinal key groove and provided with transverse ratchet teeth which are inter sected by the groove, pivoted detents engageable with the ratchet teeth for locking the bolt against a sliding movement, and a key insertable into the aforesaid groove and having a cam edge for forcing the detents clear of the ratchet teeth.

2. In a lock, a slidablefbolt having a longitudinal key groove and provided with transverse ratchet teeth which are intersected by the groove, -pivoted detents engageable with the ratchet teeth, a key in-V l sertable into the aforesaid groove and having a cam edge for forcing the detents clear of the ratchet teeth, a.l laterally projecting wing on the bolt, and a stationary incline engageable by the wing for moving the boltv in the direction of its length when it is rotated in a direction to against the incline.

3. In a lock, a slidable bolt having a longitudinal key groove and provided with transverse ratchet teeth which are intersected bythe groove, pivoted detents engageable with the ratchet teeth, a key insertable into the aforesaid groove and having a cam edge for forcing the detents clear of the ratchet teeth, a laterally projecting wing on the bolt, and a stationary incline engageable by the wing for moving the bolt in the direction of its length when it is rotated in a direction to press said wing against the incline, said bolt being rotatable by the key. e

4. In a lock,'a slidable bolt having a longitudinal key groove and provided 'with transverse ratchet-teeth on opposite sides, said teeth on one side of the bolt being in-. vtersected by the key groove, pivoted detents engageable with the last-mentioned ratchet teeth, and a key insertable into the key groove and having' a cani edge for forcing the detents clear of said ratchet teeth, said detents having branches opposite the ratchet teeth on the other side of the bolt and engageable therewith upon a movement of the detents exceeding that required to take the aforesaid key-operated detents clear of the ratchet teeth with which they are engageable.

5. In a lock, a slidable boltfhaving a longitudinal key groove and provided with transverse ratchet teeth on opposite sides, said teeth on one side of the bolt beingintersected by the key groove, pivote'd detents engageable with the last-mentioned ratchet teeth, a key insertable into the key groove and having a cam edge for forcing press said wing v llO the detents clear of said ratchet teeth, said detents having branches opposite the ratchet teeth on the other side of the bolt and engageable therewith upon a movement of the detents exceeding that required to take the aforesaid key-operated detents clear of the ratchet teeth with which they are engageable, a laterally projecting Wing on the bolt, and a stationary incline engageable by the Wing for moving the bolt in the direction of its length when it is rotated in a direction to press said Wing against the incline.

6. In a lock, a slidable bolt having a longitudinal key groove and provided With transverse ratchet teeth on opposite sides,

said teeth on one side of the bolt being intersected by the key groove, pivoted detents engageable with the last-mentioned ratchet teeth, a key insertable into the key groove and having a cam edge for forcing the detents clear of said ratchet teeth, said detents having branches opposite the ratchet teeth on the other side of the bolt and engageable therewith upon a movement of the detents exceeding that required to take the aforesaid key-operated detents clear of the ratchet teeth with which they are engageable, a laterally projecting Wing on the bolt, and a stationary incline engageable by the Wing for moving the bolt in the direction of its length when it is rotated in a direction to press said Wing' against the incline, said bolt being rotatable by the key.

7. In a lock, a slidable bolt having a longitudinal key groove and provided with transverse ratchet-teeth which are inter sected by the groove, pivoted detents engageable with the ratchet teeth for locking the bolt against a sliding movement, a key insertable into the aforesaid groove and having a cam edge for forcing the detents clear of the ratchet teeth, and means operable by a rotary movement of the bolt for sliding same in the direction of its length.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

GOTTFRIED JERLING. 

